The 89 JA album's main motive for happening was obviously monetary IMO. But it did have its moments. For one, I really like Jorma's lead break on PK's The Wheel. Very fiery!

But to get back to ABAB, my description of it being a dark pool of the subconscious was a bit too much heaviousity perhaps but it was an album that had stuff on it that was just below the surface, subliminal. Little percussive sounds that Spencer put on here and there or strange voices and effects. Ralph Gleason first noted this about Baxters, that the listener would discover new sounds the more one played it.

And those first five songs, Pooneil/Package/YoungGirl/Martha/WildThyme are beautifully woven together. Perfection. My only complaint is that Rejoyce should have followed them instead of Jorma's LastWall. His fine song just doesn't flow well following the others, an assault as rock critic Paul Williams called it. But I guess they wanted Rejoyce to finish out side one of the vinyl. Anyway, thanks to modern technology, I can now program the CD to play in the desired order.

I hope to continue more to this thread and respond to others posts soon.

That's what professional musicians do, making money by releasing albums.The reunion album failed because it wasn't a Jefferson Airplane album. Marty Balin didn't want the Airplane musicians to play on his songs and used members of Toto instead. The producer didn't like Kaukonen's guitarplaying (it didn't help that Kaukonen was a heroine addict at the time) and lots of other guitarists were hired to play on certain songs. Are you sure that it is Kaukonen you hear playing?Dryden wasn't invited. But without the jazzy influence of his drumming no album sounded like Jefferson Airplane: Not Bark, not LJS, not the reunion album.Too many cocaine decisions, I'm afraid.

redrabid wrote:That's what professional musicians do, making money by releasing albums.The reunion album failed because it wasn't a Jefferson Airplane album. Marty Balin didn't want the Airplane musicians to play on his songs and used members of Toto instead. The producer didn't like Kaukonen's guitarplaying (it didn't help that Kaukonen was a heroine addict at the time) and lots of other guitarists were hired to play on certain songs. Are you sure that it is Kaukonen you hear playing?Dryden wasn't invited. But without the jazzy influence of his drumming no album sounded like Jefferson Airplane: Not Bark, not LJS, not the reunion album.Too many cocaine decisions, I'm afraid.

But my point was that the MAIN motivation for getting together again was money and the points that you make prove that. Of course Airplane never had an aversion to making money back in the day, but that was more like icing on the cake, not the prime motivator. Reunion tours for older bands were just starting to make it big at end of 80's and the guys knew they could make a killing. Jack even said as much in an interview back then.

I've been following Jefferson Airplane since 1966. Jorma was a huge influence on my playing, and I can guarantee you that's Jorma playing on Paul's The Wheel. Those first 3 single notes are classic Kaukonen. That's the way he would start a lot of his lead breaks with JA and HT.

I agree Dryden was a key component to JA diversity and when he left, they became a different band. All other drummers since just became backup musicians. But I heard he had health issues at the time of 89 reunion. Besides, it was more than just about reuniting the original members and sound. Much more.

But we all do, Psychy, we all do.JA was based on Casady's bass, HT on Kaukonen's guitar. And because Casady is the better instrumentalist, JA was the better band. Oohhh, what am I saying?"Hide boy hide,the true fans come to burn thee..."

redrabid wrote:But we all do, Psychy, we all do.JA was based on Casady's bass, HT on Kaukonen's guitar. And because Casady is the better instrumentalist, JA was the better band. Oohhh, what am I saying?"Hide boy hide,the true fans come to burn thee..."

No problem with having an opinion. Imagine if members of JA had all agreed on everything. BORING.

Grace has been the most popular in many ways but Casady was/is perhaps the most universally admired as a musician. I've heard players from traditional jazz to hardcore punk express this.

As far as JA being the better band, I heard HT/Jorma back in the day when he was astonishingly good and other times mediocre to down right poor. SAME WITH JA. Apple and oranges to me.

It's like when Cream first played SF. Micky Hart reportedly said to Garcia; "Wow! These guys must be the best band ever!" Garcia replies; "Tonight they are the best band. TONIGHT!"

[quote= Perhaps you'll think I'm a nut-job… but I believe that Alexander the Medium is the Airplane's crowning achievement: a psychedic hymn of surpassing profundity. "You shine like silver, like sungold!"[/quote]

Alexander The Medium is a good one. Great chorus. The ending is epic, Grace doing her strange Arabic-like scat singing leading the band into the ether.

And this song also has Kantner borrowing lines from literature. The line "A billion years before these oceans rolled." is from Melville's Moby Dick; "Twas rehearsed by thee and me a billion years before this ocean rolled." said Captain Ahab.

On a similar note, there are pieces of the sound effects from the 1950's film 'War Of The Worlds' in the cut Home from BLOWS.

"Crown of Creation" is my favourite album for several years. I can't find anything wrong within it. I remember discovering JA with "Baxters" ans so that one will always be on my top listThen would come "Surrealistic Pilllows" end "Volunteers"

I'm not that much into the post Dryden JA even if I can find some great stuff in that records.

redrabid wrote:But we all do, Psychy, we all do.JA was based on Casady's bass, HT on Kaukonen's guitar. And because Casady is the better instrumentalist, JA was the better band. Oohhh, what am I saying?"Hide boy hide,the true fans come to burn thee..."

Hm that's not what Jorma said when he was asked what made Hot Tuna. He said "Jack Casady." I don't have the quote on hand but it was about their album in 2011, and he said something along the lines of, if it wasn't for Jack, it would just be a Jorma project.

Listen to something like "Candy Man" or "Surphase Tension" or even "Watch the North Wind Rise" and try and tell me that would sound the same with a different bass player. Jack brings creativity to the bass.